


My Shadow Academia

by ScribbleWriting65



Series: My Shadow Academia [1]
Category: Original Work, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Mineta Minoru Doesn't Exist, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Original Character Replaces Mineta Minoru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleWriting65/pseuds/ScribbleWriting65
Summary: UA High is the best place for all aspiring heroes, even those that carry darkness within them.
Relationships: OC/OC, Slim/Dot
Series: My Shadow Academia [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671919
Kudos: 1





	1. The Exam

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Here's my latest work: A crossover between My Hero Academia and my original world, Shadows! As I put in the tags, Minoru Mineta (aka Puny Purple Pervert) doesn't exist in this world, being replaced by my character, Slim. Let's just say that even Firefly (A being of 99.9% living light/good) would hate Mineta's guts if he existed. Shoutout to @Applesjuice on Tumblr, aka @Ciderr Emblem 3 Houses on tumblr for beta reading and clarifying details with me on this story! Let me know what you think in the comments, and I hope you enjoy!

A deep sigh was released, its captor shaking his body in preparation.

“You guys ready?”  
“You better believe it,” his dark companion, Shade, snickered, “let’s do this!”  
“We can do this! Then we can become heroes!” The boy’s bright friend, Firefly, smiled with determined eyes.

Slim looked around, seeing the other students talk with each other or prepare for the coming test. Many emotions could be seen, from calmness in the white and red-haired boy to clear nerves on a boy with a bush of green and black hair. Slim snapped out of his observation when a hand tapped his shoulder, its owner giving him a stern look over.

“Spacing out will not do you well in this exam, fellow student.”

Slim flashed back around, Shade and Firefly vanishing from sight. The student before him was just as tall, giving off an air of stern knowledge with his sleek blue and black suit and silver glasses. The boy’s eyes were sharp, seeming to be totally focused on Slim, making him slightly gulp.

“Eh, I do that sometimes. Besides, seeing the others could help me see what they can do, you know? Gives me a sense of what I’m working with.”  
“Hmm, that makes sense.” The boy put his hand to his chin. “Knowing our opponents’ abilities could give us an idea on how to beat them. Still, we don’t know the extent of the robots’ capabilities, so it won’t do us too much good to be solely focused on fellow students.”  
“Maybe, but gotta get what you can, right? Especially with how tough UA is.”

“Fair enough.” The boy nodded, slightly straightening as realization crossed his face and he extended his hand. “I never introduced myself. I am Tenya Iida, it is a pleasure to meet you.”  
“Likewise. My name is Slim,” he reciprocated the handshake. “Good luck out there.”  
“To you as well, Slim.”

Slim and Iida nodded to each other, seeing the gates open as students poured into the test city. A siren rang throughout the city, blurs in the horizon spreading out the students as they ran towards potential targets. Slim ran forward, easily dispatching the smaller robots by merging with Shade. A bright beam of light flew over his head, making Shade turn in anger at the beam’s smirking and…sparkling…owner.

“Hey Glowstick, watch the laser beams!”  
“My apologies, mon amie,” the owner spoke with elegance matched by his movements. “but I cannot help but enrapture others with my sparkling aura at times.”  
“Whatever you gotta tell yourself.” Shade waved the other student away, catching an approaching robot in his sight, leaping over the fellow kid and slashing it in two, leaving the one he saved briefly surprised before returning to his smirk and running off.

“Showoff.” Shade rolled his eyes, continuing to move forward. He looked around for any bigger targets, having to scale some robots and slash their eyes and joints. Shade found himself getting more and more excited as the test went on, seeing all sorts of different Quirks. The boy who ate sugar for strength made the ghost laugh, giving him a thumbs up as he leapt off.

A loud slam rang out, attracting Shade to its source, finding a girl in green clothing on the ground, what looked to be her tongue grabbed by a mech. Shade leapt towards the robot, slicing off the arm and setting the girl free. He quickly turned, seeing her slightly shake as he kneeled towards her and vanished, giving Slim control.

“Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” The girl grimaced upon her tongue scraping the ground.  
“You don’t look okay to me. Don’t worry, let me help.”

The girl went silent as light encased Slim’s body, his eyes turning an ocean blue as the light spread from his hands onto her wound. Slim gave her a bright smile, allowing her to reciprocate as the wound vanished.

“Thanks for helping me.”  
“No problem. My name’s Firefly, what’s yours?”  
“Tsuyu Asui, but you can call me Tsu.”  
Firefly smiled again. “Nice to meet you Tsu, now- “

A roar pierced the air, a long black shape dashing towards the mech behind Firefly and Asui, leaving their mouths open as the robot exploded. The dark figure receded, going into a boy’s stomach. Firefly gave Slim control, finding himself briefly caught off guard by the boy’s raven-shaped head, but felt Shade emerging with a slight growl as he eyed the boy.

“What the hell was that!? Looked awfully similar to me.”  
“Another darkness-like Quirk? Interesting.” The boy gave them a nod. “I am Fumikage Tokoyami, and this is Dark Shadow. I wish you luck in the test.”  
“Hey poser, quit stealing my shtick!” The shadow-like creature pointed to Shade.  
“You wanna go, Birdbrain?”  
“ _Shade, enough._ ” Slim’s eyes turned black, catching both Asui and Tokoyami off-guard as Slim’s eyes turned to normal and an embarrassed expression just as fast. “Sorry about that, Shade can be a bit of a handful at times. My name’s-behind you!”

Slim ran towards the approaching scorpion-like robot, merging with Shade and slicing off one of its legs. Tokoyami raced forward, sending Dark Shadow to attack another leg. Asui bolted ahead of the boys, using her tongue to fling a nearby boulder at the mech’s eye, shutting it down and leaving the boys subtly wide eyed.

“Okay, I’ll admit, you guys are pretty cool.” Shade subtly smiled.  
“You weren’t so bad yourself. What happened to the light one though? He did good too.” Asui asked.  
“Aw, it was nothing.” Firefly scratched the back of his head as he emerged.

The conversation was cut as the ground started to shake. Students were running around the trio, trying to get away from something. Slim looked up to the sight, only to drop his jaw: A robot larger than the surrounding buildings loomed over the students, nearly crushing them with its gaze alone. Slim took a small step back, followed by Tokoyami and Asui.

“Holy shit…” Shade marveled. “How in the hell do we fight _that!?_ ”  
“We don’t.” Tokoyami spoke. “It’s one of the pointless bots, we can run.”  
“Good idea, let’s get- “

A mixture of a scream and groan captured their attention, seeing a girl with pink cheeks and brown hair trapped under some rubble and struggling to get herself out. Slim also saw a boy with green hair in a turquoise sweat suit on the ground, seemingly frozen by fear. Slim ran to get the girl out of the rubble, only to stop when the green-haired boy started running and jumped, vanishing from sight and leaving a red bolt of energy in the blink of an eye.

Slim, Shade and Firefly’s jaws dropped further when the boy hit the mech in the face, obliterating it in a single strike. Slim quickly snapped out of his stupor, freeing the girl from the rubble and taking her away.

“Are you alright?”  
“I’m fine, but Deku’s gonna get hurt!”  
“What? Hey!”

The girl broke free of Slim’s grip, jumping onto a fallen mech and slapping the boy, apparently named Deku, in the face, making his rapid descent nearly stop immediately before drifting to the ground. Slim breathed a sigh of relief before grimacing as the girl vomited, returning his attention to the now unconscious boy, flinching at his condition.

“Oh man, look at his legs.” Firefly whispered.  
“No kidding. His arm doesn’t look much better.” Shade observed, seeing red scars and muscle on the boy’s knuckles.  
“That was one hell of a punch. Still, what kind of Quirk destroys a person’s body like this?” Slim watched with concern and curiosity as Recovery Girl approached, giving Deku a kiss to heal his injuries.

After brief hesitation, Slim approached Deku and the nurse, kneeling before them.

“Is there anything I can do to help? Part of my Quirk allows me to heal others.”  
“No, but I appreciate the offer, sweetie.”

Slim nodded before standing, remembering the girl he pulled from the rubble. The boy went over, seeing her groan as she hung her head.

“Are you okay?”  
The girl only gave a weak thumbs-up. “I’ll be fine. I’m used to this.”  
“Do you at least want help getting to the nurse’s office? It looks like Recovery Girl is occupied with that Deku guy.”  
“I…I’d appreciate it, thanks.” The girl rose her head and extended an arm, allowing Slim to wrap it around his shoulder and watch her before following Recovery Girl and the stretcher that held Deku.

“Do you mind if I ask what your name is?”  
“No, no, not at all.” The girl weakly laughed. “I’m Ochako Uraraka. What’s yours?”  
“My name’s Slim. It’s nice to meet you.”

Uraraka only nodded, allowing Slim to guide her as she watched Deku. Slim noticed and followed her gaze, sharing some of her concern upon reflection. Said reflection also brought a chuckle to his eyes, making Shade and Firefly appear with curiosity.

“What’s got you so giggly?”  
“Just thinking about how wild today’s been. All the people and Quirks, running around and slaying robots, meeting similar people. Definitely not how I thought today would go.”  
“But it has been fun, right?” Firefly asked.  
Slim nodded. “Oh yeah; I just hope we passed. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Slim eventually dropped Uraraka off at the nurse’s office, wishing her a farewell and getting better before gathering his things and beginning the walk home, both eager and terrified of what would come of the test.

The days seemed to stretch into weeks from Slim’s perspective, occupying his time by checking on hero news and thinking of more costume designs, with some ‘help’ from Shade and Firefly. His extra vigilance with the mail paid off when an envelope from UA arrived.

Slim could hardly keep his nerves intact from the excitement, nearly sprinting to his room to see its contents. He grew puzzled upon seeing a disc fall out, playing a video with the Symbol of Peace, All Might.

“No way!”  
“Hello, young Slim! I am here, to give you your results from the practical exam!!”

With a flamboyant gesture, the elder hero turned Slim’s attention to another screen, showing a sort of highlight reel of his performance at the exam. The video showed Slim merging with Shade to take down several small robots before narrowly dodging the laser boy’s blast, making Shade huff in annoyance.

“You displayed clear control over your Quirk in multiple dangerous situations, the marking of a truly strong hero!”  
“Hell yeah, we did.” Shade smirked before continuing to watch the highlights, now showing Slim work with Firefly to help Tsu and Tokoyami before cutting to Slim getting Uraraka away from the 0-point robot.

“Not only did you show your ability to take on villains, but the ability to help and work with others as well! Not many have such talents like you do, Slim; and young Shade and Firefly, if I have their names, right?”  
“Nice of them to give us some recognition.” Shade smirked.  
“Shush, we’re gonna get the scores!” Firefly shook with excitement.

The display changed into a leaderboard, showing Slim’s name at the bottom, before starting to accumulate points and rise through the ranks. Slim’s anticipation grew with each moment, reaching a crescendo once it stopped, his eyes shining with both excitement and unshed tears.

“With 33 Villain Points and 30 Rescue Points, your total of 63 points placed you in the top 10 highest scores! Congratulations, young Slim, you passed the exam!!”

A few tears fell from Slim’s and Firefly’s eyes. Some escaped Shade’s as well, but he played it off with a smirk and wiping them away.

“Welcome, young hero, to your hero academia!”

The video ended, retreating into the disc. Slim walked out to the balcony, watching the stars above, seeming to have gained a new shine; though Slim couldn’t tell if it was natural or his mind processing his approaching future.

“We…We did it.” Firefly marveled.  
“Of course we did, what’d you expect?” Shade smirked.  
“After all we went through…Leaving America,” Slim started.  
“Not that there was anything worthwhile there anyway.” Shade remarked.  
Slim simply chuckled, “Yeah. Coming here for a new start, free of burdens from ‘family.’ We may not be full heroes yet, but we’ve taken the first big step.” Slim smiled, releasing a shouting cheer into the sky.

Slim took in a breath of fresh night air, feeling energy settle through him. He did it. They were going to be heroes. However, a yawn reminded him that there was still work to be done, which would only come with tomorrow. With that in mind, Slim went back inside, settling into a peaceful sleep with a smile on his face. Tomorrow was a new beginning, and the young hero in training couldn’t wait to see what would come.


	2. The First Day

“Slow down dude! If you run around now, we’re gonna look like exhausted idiots when we get to class!”  
“We’re gonna be late if we don’t hurry! You should’ve set the alarm!”  
“Hey, Sparky’s the one that’s time-oriented, not me!”  
“Whatever. We’ve got everything, and we’re back on schedule.” Slim sighed as he checked that he had everything one last time.

He slowly took in a breath of fresh air, stepping out the door. Slim walked two steps before seeing another person walk out of the door beside his. Slim felt that the boy was familiar, before his green and black hair gave it away.

“Hey, uh, Deku, right?”

The boy jumped, looking at Slim with wide eyes for a moment before taking in a soft gulp.

“Uh, actually, my name is Izuku Midoriya. How do you know about my Deku name?”  
“That Uraraka girl from the exam was worried about you. We all were, really.”  
“You’re reckless, kid,” Shade emerged, widening Midoriya’s eyes, “but also badass.”  
“It was really brave of you to take down that robot like you did.” Firefly followed suit, Midoriya’s face looking like it was about to implode before it shifted into curiosity.

“Wait, you applied for UA too?”  
“Yup, we’re on our way over now. Did you make it?”  
The green-haired boy’s eyes began to water before he wiped them, Slim giving a subtle sigh of relief.  
“Yes. Though only by luck, really.”  
“No way, dude. To be willing to risk death, on top of shattering your body like you did; that’s real heroism right there.” Slim gave Midoriya a bright smile, making his eyes water again as they walked.  
“Thank you. I…didn’t have much hope of being a hero until recently, so this is really big for me.”

Slim’s smile held, but now carried sadness with it, his eyes gaining a shade of reminiscence.

“I feel you there, buddy. It can be tough for some of us, especially if our Quirks make us like ‘demons’.” A swirl of black and gray flowed through Slim’s eyes, a slow growl escaping his lips.  
Midoriya looked to Slim, surprise and subtle dread on his face. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”  
“Nah, you’re good. Bullies and nonbelievers, am I right? Either way, we gotta keep going, make sure that others don’t go through what we did.”

Slim looked to Midoriya, seeing curiosity at his statement, but also understanding in his eyes. The duo walked on, feeling the air’s heaviness float away to be replaced by peace and understanding of each other, even if it was only on a basic level.

“Ugh, are we there yet!?” Shade emerged from Slim’s shoulder, making Midoriya jump. “It feels like we started walking years ago.”  
“C’mon Shade,” Firefly followed suit, making Midoriya’s eyes gain a sparkle of curiosity. “You said it yourself, we’ll get tired if we go too fast.”  
“Whoa, what are those!?”  
The three students looked over to him. “The dark one is Shade, and the bright one is Firefly. They’re the darkness and light in my heart.”

“Not only that,” Shade puffed out his chest, giving off a flashing smile, “But we can merge with our boy here for extra fun! I do all the heavy lifting with morphing our body for things like claws and moving through shadows. Oh, and Sparky can do lamer things like healing.”  
“Hey!” Firefly pushed Shade slightly. “I can also make us shrink and fly, offering mobility that Shade _doesn’t._ ”  
“Why, you- “

“Whoa! What’s it like moving through shadows?”  
“Huh?”  
“Is it disorienting at all? Are there only certain shadows you can go through?”

Slim and Shade looked at Midoriya with wide and subtly nervous eyes, Firefly struggling to hold in laughter at their faces.  
“Well, it’s like, going through a doorway, I guess.”  
“But given how some shadows are thinner than others, that would be difficult, wouldn’t it? Not only that, but shadows have different levels of boldness, maybe that could also be a factor on what you can and can’t do. And if you could morph your body in- “  
“Midoriya, Midoriya!”

The boy snapped upward, looking at his companions amused but nerved faces.

“If you keep going like this, you’re gonna run out of breath.”  
“And I thought Sparky was a motormouth. At least you have some good insight.”  
“Hey!”

Midoriya looked away sheepishly, scratching his head. “Sorry, it’s a habit of mine.”  
“Don’t worry about it. You should hear me talk to myself.” Slim laughed, easing the green-haired boy.

With renewed focus, the group looked around, recognizing the cherry blossoms around them. The trees painted the tall building in front of them in a beautiful aura, promising discovery and joy in what was to come. Slim moved his eyes from the building to the door, recognizing a familiar girl with brown-blonde hair.

“No way…Dot!?”  
The girl turned, her surprised eyes turning to joy upon recognizing the call. She ran down the stairs, colliding with Slim in a hug and laughing as he spun them around. Midoriya walked forward with a small smile, taking in the reunion as Slim put Dot down.

“What are you doing here, angel?” Shade laughed. “We thought you were gonna stay in the States.”  
“And leave you guys alone? No way!” Dot laughed. “Consider this a surprise. Do you like it?”  
“We love it! It’s so good to see you again!” Firefly chimed.  
“It’s great to see you guys again.”

“Oh, shoot!” Slim turned around, “Midoriya, this is my girlfriend, Dot. Dot, this is Izuku Midoriya; he’s going into the Hero Course like I am.”  
“It’s n-nice to meet you Dot.” Midoriya slightly shook as he extended his hand, Dot reciprocating with a smile.  
“You too, Midoriya. You were really brave at the Practical Exam, saving that girl from the giant robot.”  
“I-it was nothing, really.”

Before Dot could respond, a bell rang out, students wrapping up their conversations and moving into the building.

“What class are you in?” Slim asked.  
“I’m in 1-H. I should get going.” Dot gave Slim a kiss on the cheek, bringing a noticeable pink to his cheeks and irises as she walked off. “I’ll see you two around, okay?”  
“See ya later, Dot!” Slim smiled as he and Midoriya continued on their way.

“S-so, what class are you in?” Midoriya asked.  
“I’m in 1-A.” Slim smiled. “What about you?”  
Midoriya’s face slightly brightened. “I’m in 1-A, too!”  
“Nice! Let’s get going, classmate.”

The duo quickly settled in, splitting off to share greetings with their other classmates. Slim quickly noticed Tokoyami, thanking and complimenting him for his help at the Practical Exam, with the raven-headed student reciprocating before Dark Shadow emerged, snickering as he mocked Shade. Slim’s shadow emerged, challenging the dark bird to a fight before his host pulled him away, moving to interact with others. 

“You’re gonna have to get along with them, Shade.”  
“It’s not my fault Birdbrain there deludes himself as a ‘superior shadow’.”  
“Still, your similarities could help each other in hero work.” Slim turned to see Asui watching them, a subtle smirk on her face.  
“Nice to see you again Asui! Man, this has been crazy so far, seeing all the people we met in the same class.”  
“Glad I’m not alone in that regard!”  
Slim looked to his right, seeing Ochako give off a radiant smile.  
“Hey there! You feeling any better?”  
“Yeah, the nausea comes with using my Quirk. Another thing to refine, right?”

“Alright, everyone, settle down. Find your seats.”

The students froze, first in fear at the subtle command the voice held, then in curiosity as they found their teacher…on the ground. In a sleeping bag.

“What’s the deal with this guy?” Shade whispered.  
Slim shushed him as the teacher rose, introducing himself as Mr. Aizawa. As he spoke, Aizawa came across as…complicated. The hero and teacher carried a mixture of intelligence and experience in his subtly harsh tone, with apathy and tiredness in his scruffy hair and face.

However, any assumptions about his work instantly vanished when he handed the students gym clothes and beckoned them outside for a Quirk Apprehension Test. The students looked to each other with varied emotions; most carrying some form of nervousness, especially Midoriya, but some carrying determination or annoyance, like the spiky blond-haired boy.

Any assumptions vanished as the whole class tensed at Aizawa’s threat of expulsion for the lowest-scoring student. With this in mind, Slim saw his classmates push their limits, with impressive results. The tests themselves were simple enough, consisting of distance running, a long jump, and grip pressure, among others. Slim performed well, merging with Firefly for the distance tests, and Shade for the strength tests.

The next event was the ball throw. The blond-haired student gave a strong, if unnerving impression, screaming “DIE!!” as he threw the ball with an explosive boost. It was eventually Slim’s turn, fusing with Shade to throw the ball an impressive 600 meters.

“Hmph, whaddaya think of that?” Shade smirked.  
“You still have a long way to go.” Aizawa spoke. “Next, Ochako Uraraka.”

Aizawa’s tone left no room for argument, leaving Shade to stay out as he left Slim, Firefly joining to watch Uraraka’s throw. Slim felt she could do well, but his jaw, along with those of the entire class, dropped as the ball flew further and further into the sky, vanishing with a twinkle as Aizawa displayed Uraraka’s score.

“ _Infinity!!?_ ”

Midoriya’s turn came, nerves clearly covering the boy’s face as he wound up. However, his Quirk didn’t kick in, judging by his shocked expression, pitiful throw, and Aizawa’s floating hair and tape.

Slim started as Aizawa grabbed Midoriya, walking over to them.

“Hey! Even if he doesn’t do so good, that doesn’t mean you can just- “

Tape flew to Slim’s leg, tripping him back into the ground as students gasped. He looked up in surprise at Aizawa’s irritated face, trying to summon Shade, but feeling emptiness.

“If I were you, I’d watch what you say. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Slim gulped as he rose, growling as Shade returned and other students watched with wide eyes. Aizawa finished his talk with Midoriya, walking back and rehydrating his eyes as Midoriya glared at the field ahead of him. With renewed vigor, the boy wound up, his fingertip starting to glow as the ball was sent flying much farther than before. Midoriya gripped his hand as a finger swelled, biting his lip to hold back a cry of pain as the tests continued.

By the end of it, the class was ready for home. Slim put his hands on his knees, panting as his body recovered.

“Man, I know we have to get in better shape to be heroes,” Shade emerged, “but this is ridiculous!”  
“No kidding.” Slim agreed. “I’m ready for a nap.”  
“Hey, isn’t that Midoriya?” Firefly pointed ahead, guiding his host and rival to the boy on the ground, panting like the air had been knocked out of him. Slim walked over, extending a hand with a smile.  
“Need a lift?”  
The green haired boy smiled as he took the gesture, slightly wincing. “Thanks.”  
“Don’t mention it, bud. Come on, we gotta see the results.”

The duo walked over, examining the holographic leaderboard with nerves all around them. Slim breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his name at 9th place.

“Phew, we live for another day. How about you Mi- “

Slim stopped at his friends’ face, seeing nothing but dread and shame. He looked to the leaderboard, seeing Midoriya’s name in the dead last spot. He wanted to say something comforting, but nothing helpful came to mind.

‘ _If only I could do something to keep him in. He clearly wants to be a hero, more than most of us here, probably._ ’ Slim thought.

“By the way, I was lying about the expulsion.”

The area faded into silence, several faces going paler than a ghost.

“That was just a logical deception to make sure you did your best.”

A moment later, a collective sigh was released, being followed by some bouts of nervous laughter.

“Are you _kidding_ me?! ‘Oh yeah, do what you can, otherwise your future is screwed, good luck!’ What kind of bullshit ‘logic’ is that!?” Shade looked ready to go on a rampage before Slim grabbed him, pulling the ghost back.  
“While the method was a bit extreme, you can’t deny the results.” Slim suggested.

Slim looked over to Midoriya, who’s face held both relief and unshed tears. Slim put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, said boy wiping his eyes as they left to the classroom and grabbed their things for tomorrow.

“Some first day, huh Midoriya?” Slim chuckled.  
“Yeah. And he said things will only get more intense tomorrow.” Midoriya gulped.  
Slim subtly reciprocated. “Well, we did sign up for this. Guess we should be ready for anything.”

Midoriya nodded as the duo left, finding Uraraka and Iida at the entrance.

“Wow, my heart’s still racing from today.” Uraraka chuckled.  
“No kidding. Still, we’ve got tomorrow in the bag.” Shade emerged, slightly throwing Uraraka and Iida off-guard.  
“Indeed. We must anticipate all possibilities. The pros have to every day, and so shall we.” Iida spoke.  
“I’m excited, but also ready for home.” Midoriya sighed.

The others nodded as they began the walk home. Slim laughed as Uraraka blushed at the praise of her ball throw performance, especially from Midoriya. Iida was more than happy to discuss his family’s heritage as the Ingenium line of Pro Heroes. Slim simply took it all in, happy to have made some true friends in what felt like a long time.


	3. Battle Trials

Slim and Midoriya walked to school together again, discussing yesterday’s events and today’s possibilities. Both were nervous, but Slim also carried subtle confidence, undoubtedly influenced by Shade. Even Firefly was excited at what could come.

Aizawa immediately put the class to work, telling them to put on their costumes and meet them at Ground Beta. Slim walked over to his locker, taking in an excited breath upon seeing his costume’s pieces. The boy put them on quickly, growing more ecstatic as the suit came together, taking in one final breath as he turned to Midoriya and the black-haired girl beside him.

“Well, whaddaya guys think?”

Midoriya and the girl turned to Slim, taking in his ensemble. It was relatively simplistic, consisting of a blue hoodie and black pants, with red cleats on his feet. The most unique aspects came in his armor, consisting of a silver and gold colored breastplate, with black and silver gauntlets on his arms. The gauntlets had black and gold bands throughout, almost appearing like veins as they spread to his fingertips, which were tipped with claws.

“Whoa, cool!” Midoriya looked wide-eyed at the gauntlets, “But why the normal clothes? Wouldn’t there be better things to wear for mobility and defense?”  
“Sure, but I also wanted to go with a man-of-the-people sort of vibe with my costume. Help people see me as calming and relatable like them, you know?”  
Midoriya nodded as he looked at his own green sweat-suit with a nostalgic smile. “That makes sense. Mine is an homage to my hero. It’s kind of obvious when you see it.”

Slim looked over to Midoriya’s ensemble, seeing two green rises out of the suit, almost looking like hair, and a facemask with what appeared to be teeth painted on it. Shade emerged, struggling to hold in laughter.

“C’mon dude,” Slim chastised. “Lay off.”  
“Not my fault the Symbol of Peace has bunny ears.” Shade snickered.  
“Ignore him, Midoriya. You’ll look fine.”

Midoriya nodded as he and Slim walked to the training ground, both gawking upon seeing the Symbol of Peace, All Might, out and instructing them. Slim quickly snapped out of it, listening carefully. The students were to be split into teams, excitement growing as they were chosen into pairs of heroes and villains and given the objective: Either capture a bomb or the villains for the heroes, and capture the heroes or draw out the time for the villains.

Slim was paired up with the black-haired girl that sat beside him in class, the two eventually facing off as villains against a yellow-haired boy and a girl with headphone jacks on her ears. Slim readied his gear in the bomb’s holding room, the girl seeming to flip her way through a book, catching Firefly’s interest.

“What’s that your reading?”  
The girl looked up to her companion. “Oh, this is my Yaoyorictionary. It lets me keep track of materials needed to make different objects with my Quirk.”  
“Could you make some kind of barricade for the door?” Slim asked.  
“Sure thing, just give me a moment.”

The girl took a deep breath, her teammates watching with fascination as steel bars emerged from her arms.

“What’s your name, by the way? I forgot to ask earlier.” Slim scratched the back of his head embarrassingly as he stretched out his hand.  
“Momo Yaoyorozu. I never got yours.” She reciprocated the gesture.  
“Mine’s Slim, this is Shade,” the shadow emerged as Slim spoke, “and this is Firefly.”

“Nice to meet you, Momo, I-” Shade smirked before Slim grabbed his throat, glaring at him as his eyes turned black, sparks escaping his irises.  
“ _Don’t._ ”  
Yaoyorozu subtly gasped as Slim let Shade go, the ghost hacking as he regained his breath.  
“Sorry about that. We should focus on strategizing.”

Yaoyorozu nodded, returning to finishing the door. With that settled, the duo looked around the room, pondering what else they could do. Slim suggested security cameras, but it would take too much time and effort to fully make a working system. The students followed his other suggestion, hiding weapons around the room and sealing the bomb in a cage.

They looked back at their work, satisfaction on their faces. They snapped to attention upon hearing the 2-minute warning before the exercise started.

“What can you do?” Yaoyorozu inquired.  
“One of our abilities is to travel through shadows.” Slim responded. “If we can sneak up on our opponents, we could take out at least one.”  
“But what about the lights in the halls? There didn’t look like much room for shadows on our way up.”  
“Crap, you’re right!” Slim smacked his head. “We could take out each one individually, but even our flight won’t be fast enough for them to not notice. We need something to take all of them out at once.”  
“Would an EMP work?”  
Slim’s eyes shone. “That’d be perfect! Can you make that?”  
“Consider it done.” Yaoyorozu smirked as she exposed more of her stomach, Slim quickly turning around. Yaoyorozu poked his shoulder, holding up a small, circular device.

“Push this button,” Yaoyorozu displayed, “and all electronics within 200 feet should shut off.”  
“Cool, thanks Yaoyorozu!” Slim smiled.

The starting siren sounded off, Slim and Shade smirking at Yaoyorozu as they merged.

“Let’s get to work.”

Shade vanished into a nearby shadow, slightly catching his teammate off-guard. He weaved through the shadows, putting the device on a corner and activating it. With more travel room from the darkness, Shade scoured around, looking for his opponents.

His first target was the yellow-haired boy, slightly dreading facing off against the electricity coming out of his target’s hands. Still, a smirk came with opportunity in the form of a nearby room. With careful patience, the ghost moved to a wall, tackling the student into the room, vanishing again with a sinister laugh.

“What the, where’d he go?” The boy voiced.  
“Now where would the fun be in giving ourselves away?” Shade laughed again, leaping out and striking him across the face before vanishing. The boy shot off a round of electricity, just barely missing Shade.  
“Not quite, kid. Gotta do better than that!” Shade’s laughter increased as he attacked, sending his victim into panic. Shade heard footsteps approaching, deciding to end the fun by striking the boy’s legs and stomach, dazing and handcuffing him with a slam into the floor.

The boy’s teammate arrived as Shade vanished into a wall, just barely missing him.

“This guy was a bore. Let’s see if you can do any better, Hero!” Shade’s cackling laughter echoed, setting the girl on edge as he retreated to another floor.

“The guy is down. He had an electricity Quirk.”  
“Well done, Slim. Though maybe you should hold back on your behavior.”  
“Hey, we’re Villains, remember? Might as well play the part.”  
“Just,” A nervous sigh was released. “Don’t take it too far.”  
“Yeah, yeah.”

Shade followed the headphone-wearing girl as she ran, finding a good wall to pounce from. However, he didn’t anticipate the girl’s reaction time, paying the price in an ear-piercing sonic blast. Shade quickly retreated, feeling the vibrations in the walls as he returned to Yaoyorozu, catching her off-guard.

“The girl can produce sonic blasts. We felt them through the wall, and they _hurt._ ” Shade grimaced, hoping his ears wouldn’t bleed.  
Yaoyorozu put her hands to her chin. “I’ve got an idea. Give me a few minutes.”

Slim looked around as he and Shade separated, doing one final perimeter check. Yaoyorozu tapped his shoulder again, giving him a large pair of headphones.

“These will significantly decrease the noise, but we can still talk to each other through our communicators.”  
“Nice job, Yaoyorozu.” Slim smiled as he put them on, tightening as he heard footsteps approach. The boy looked to Yaoyorozu, seeing that she noticed too.   
“I’ll distract her, hide and get ready to attack.”

Yaoyorozu nodded, hiding behind a pillar as Slim vanished into the bomb’s shadow. The girl came into the room, tiptoeing to the bomb, only to groan as she saw the encaged objective.

“Don’t like our little home?” Shade fake pouted. “But we made it all nice and comfy; with some security to boot.”  
The girl grimaced, getting annoyed at Shade’s antics, but refocusing upon seeing his goodhearted wink.  
“Real homey. Too bad I’m gonna take you out and into jail before you can relax.”  
“Aw, but we were gonna celebrate! We had _party favors_ and everything!”

Yaoyorozu emerged from the pillar, just barely missing the girl with a stun baton. The girl struck back, hitting her with a punch to the face and a sonic blast. Shade ran to his opponent, throwing her against a pillar. She quickly rose, just barely dodging his attack before finding a sword hidden behind the pillar and swinging out with it. The edge was dulled, but Shade still dodged, feeling hits on his gauntlets and arms, dreading the bruises that would appear later.

“Gotta say, Rockstar, you hit pretty hard. Too bad that bomb’s gonna go off before you can hit us again.”  
“We’ll see about that.”

The girl put her fists together, shaking the room with sonic waves. Shade and Momo pushed against the waves, struggling to gain footing. Slim quickly merged with Firefly, shrinking and flying behind the girl before growing again to grab her. Momo swept the girl’s feet with a steel pipe, allowing Slim to throw her into a pillar and handcuff her.

The finishing siren rang, Momo and Slim high-fiving before checking on the girl and extending his hand.

“Are you alright? Sorry if we got a bit rough there.”  
“Nah, you’re good. Gets me better training for the real thing.” The girl smirked as she took the hand and rose.  
“What’s your name, by the way?”  
“Kyoka Jiro, and you are?”  
“Slim. The dark one was Shade, and the bright one was Firefly. Nice to meet you.” Slim smiled.

“Team C wins! All students, please report to the camera room for review.”

The three students went to the electric boy, finding him just waking up. With introductions exchanged, the boy named Kaminari giving a thumbs up in congratulations, the teams went back to the camera room to applause and compliments from the other students. All Might also clapped, making all of them blush.

“Well done, students! You all played your roles very well. You had me convinced you were a real villain for a while, Slim and Shade, did I get the name right?”  
“Hell yeah you did.” Shade rose and smirked. “What can I say, it comes easier for me.”  
“Thank you, sir.” Slim smiled.  
“Not only did you all play your roles, but young Slim and Yaoyorozu’s teamwork was excellent! Can anyone tell me why?”

Midoriya slowly and shyly raised his hand. “W-well, it looked like they had clear communication with each other, and the understanding of their Quirks helped establish roles for the mission.”  
“Well done, young Midoriya! Good communication can be the difference between victory and defeat for any group. Anyone else?”  
“Slim worked flawlessly with Shade and Firefly, and Yaoyorozu stayed calm and focused with each weapon she used and made, balancing personal offense and defense of the bomb.” Tokoyami added.  
“Excellent observation, young Tokoyami! Mastery of a person’s Quirk is the first step of being a true hero. Now, does anyone have ideas on how either side could have improved?”

“Kaminari should’ve remained calm after the lights turned off. With Jiro’s help, they could’ve hurt Slim and Shade more.” Tsu offered with a hand to her chin.  
“Well spotted, young Asui! Calling for help can give heroes a big advantage in a real situation. How else could either team have improved?”  
“Slim and Shade could’ve gone outside the bomb room to stop Jiro after getting the headphones? Leaving those weapons lying around was also dangerous, at least from what I saw.” Uraraka suggested.

“Good eye, young Uraraka! Quick thinking is essential for hero work, but planning and quick action are just as helpful, if not more so! No matter the case, all of you did an excellent job of covering the basics with your performances today! I know that these next heroes will be some of the best! Congratulations to Team C, and great job to all four of you! Now we can move on to the next group.”

Slim and his classmates watched the final battle, being a close call with both teams performing well. All Might congratulated all the students, encouraging them to keep up their studies for future tests and work. Slim returned to his locker, seeing Midoriya come by as well, his arm in a cast from his battle with the blond explosion boy during his trial.

“Hey there, are you doing okay?”  
“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine. You and Yaoyorozu did great at your fight!”  
“You saw? I thought you’d be off with Recovery Girl.” Slim blushed.  
“I came in as soon as you took out Kaminari. I wish I could fight like you did.” Midoriya’s head and eyes fell.  
“Don’t say that, Midoriya.” Slim put his hand on the boy’s shoulder with a stern expression. “I’m not the one who can punch a building apart with one strike’s wind pressure alone.”  
“Even at the cost of a broken arm?”  
“Chalk that up onto a goal for improvement. Like my armor.”

Slim winced as he removed his costume, rubbing the bruises on his arms and chest before Firefly emerged, encasing the marks in a golden light as they vanished.

“You can heal people too?”  
“Sure can!” Firefly chimed. “We wanted to heal you back at the exam, but Recovery Girl had it covered. Do you need some extra healing?”  
“No thanks, I don’t want to be- “Midoriya flinched, seething as he rubbed his arm.  
“Looks like you need it, buddy.”

Midoriya sighed as Slim put his hand on the injury, feeling tension melt away to be replaced by calm. He looked to his healers with a thankful smile, and they reciprocated. With his costume put away, Slim walked with Midoriya to the front, seeing his friend’s opponent ahead of them, waiting.

“Oh, Kacchan!”

The boy looked up, seething. “What do you want, nerd?”  
“Well hello to you too.” Shade emerged.  
“Shut it, ghost-freak, this is between me and Deku.”  
Slim scowled. “Okay, that’s just- “  
“Kacchan, I…I need to tell you something. My Quirk…” Midoriya took in a deep breath, drawing curious faces from the others, even Firefly as he emerged.

“My quirk isn’t entirely my own. It was given to me by someone else. But I’m working on mastering it, so that I can become worthy of this power that’s been given to me.”  
“Midoriya?” Slim, Shade and Firefly’s eyes were wider than saucers. Kacchan’s were as well, but they quickly turned back into anger.  
“Yeah, right. No need to push down my loss at your pathetic hands, you damn nerd.”  
“Hey man, he’s just trying to help.” Firefly spoke.

“Shut it, Lightbulb! I’ve already gotten a mouthful from Boost Boy and Maker Girl! Don’t think this is the norm!”

The boy’s eyes began to water as he glared at them, uneasing all before him.

“The name’s Katsuki Bakugo, newbie, and I’m just getting started! You got that!!? I’m gonna be the one to take the Number One Spot!!”

Slim gulped and sighed, really ready for home until a cry of “I am here!” came from behind him, seeing All Might walk past and towards Bakugo, seeming to console him. However, Bakugo didn’t have any of it, mouthing off the hero before heading home.

“Young Midoriya and Slim, what were you talking to Bakugo about before I arrived so heroically?”

All four students jumped, subtle sweat dropping from their faces.

“N-nothing special!”  
“I’m curious!”  
“T-there wasn’t anything important, sir.” Slim subtly swallowed.

All Might looked around, then released a deep sigh, holding subtle annoyance.

“Young Midoriya, please, try to be more careful when talking about your Quirk.”  
Midoriya hung his head. “Y-yes sir.”  
“And young Slim, Shade, and Firefly.” The three gulped. “What you heard is very private. No one aside from young Midoriya and myself know about his Quirk. Please keep it that way.”  
“Y-yes sir. Our lips are sealed.” All three nodded as the Symbol of Peace walked away.

All four of them took a deep breath as they started the walk home, anxiety still in their systems.

“We…weren’t supposed to hear that, were we?” Slim looked to Midoriya.  
The green-haired boy reciprocated, “No. I’m sorry, my mouth just kept running.”  
“Don’t worry, no one else will hear. Still, that Bakugo guy’s a jerk. Do you two know each other?”

“Yeah. We were childhood friends, but…He became more bullying once he got his Quirk. I…I can’t help but look up to him though for his strength and drive for victory.”  
“While those are admirable qualities,” Shade added, “That doesn’t excuse his cruelty. Even I’m not that much of a prick.”

Slim sighed as he looked to Midoriya, connecting some pieces explaining his shyness and lack of self-confidence. “Even if you consider him your friend, he’s still got some behaviors to work out. Just, let me or our friends and teachers know if he goes too far, okay? I know what it’s like to be bullied, no one deserves it.”  
“Thanks, Slim.”  
“Anytime, Midoriya.”

The duo walked on in peaceful silence. The sunset reflected off of their surroundings, painting the area in orange, with light reflecting off the nearby water. Slim took in a deep breath, smiling upon remembering his exhilarating fights with Kaminari and Jiro. While Midoriya and Bakugo’s relationship was troubling, Slim couldn’t help but admire the boy’s courage during his battle trial. Still, there was definitely room for improvement, and Slim knew that he’d get stronger, no matter what form those improvements took.


	4. Upgrades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reading this chapter might feel weird, and I understand why. I’m skipping some pretty big events in the story (USJ, Sports Festival, etc.), but I wanted to get to a big part for Slim’s growth, and writing the other parts in this story would’ve made this a lot longer. Rest assured, I will expand on the skimmed parts someday in the future. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Life only got more intense as time went on, from the USJ Incident to the Sports Festival and internships, it seemed like something was always pushing Slim’s limits, for both better and worse. The USJ was a big confidence boost for Firefly, unlocking the ability to shrink others with him for flight and using it to save Midoriya. Shade reveled the Sports Festival, feeding off the adrenaline from racing and fighting like an oasis in the desert.

For Slim, the biggest highlight was unveiling his hero name. While nervous at first, it eased as he approached the podium, taking in a deep breath as he looked out to his classmates and Shade and Firefly emerged.

“Since my Quirk is alive, it can be rough to wrangle them in. But one thing we do have in common is that we want to help people. While some will look at darkness and think of it as a demon, or light and think of it as not very useful, we want to change that perspective, show that they work together more than we believe.”

Slim took one final breath, looking at the name he wrote before turning it to the class, speaking with Shade and Firefly simultaneously.

“We are the Light and Dark Hero: Shadow.”

Midnight applauded, seeming to subtly hold back tears from Slim’s presentation. The continued applause made the boy blush as he sat down, getting high fives and pats on the shoulder from Midoriya and Yaoyorozu.

However, the joy didn’t last. The Training Camp attack left Slim bruised and beaten, collapsing once the dust had settled. His spirit had taken a hit too, struggling to rein in Shade with the stress of fighting off villains. It only got worse once they saw All Might fighting a near god-like villain at Kamino Ward, mourning the loss of the Symbol of Peace, even after his victory from a frail state.

Seeing the world’s greatest hero so broken showed that Slim needed to work extra hard to combat society’s evil, and the Super Move Training provided the perfect opportunity. Slim worked with All Might himself for the training, showing what he could do by merging with Shade and Firefly quickly.

“Well done, young Slim!” All Might smiled, his calmer voice giving extra support.  
“Thank you sir. Though I could do better.”  
“You’ve done plenty of good work so far, my boy. It looks like switching between Shade and Firefly is faster than ever. What about your abilities with them?”

Slim demonstrated his progress, vanishing into fainter shadows with Shade, and carrying others for a short time with Firefly, with Kirishima as a volunteer. Slim landed next to All Might, putting his hand to his chin.

“I still feel like there’s something missing. The worst situations will require both offense and defense simultaneously, but I can’t do that.”  
“You said that Shade and Firefly cover offense and defense respectively, right?”  
“You got it, teach,” Shade added, “In a broad sense.”  
“Have you tried merging with both of them at the same time?”

Firefly also emerged, his eyes going wide like Slim and Shade’s. The boy thought deep about the possibility, finding something within.

“It could work, but…I don’t know, I feel like there’s some sort of blockade in my soul preventing me from doing that.”  
“Is there anything you could do to overcome that?”  
“Maybe? We’ve been able to do just fine by ourselves, but now I think it’s time to get some help, but I’m also…nervous…about that prospect.” Slim released a nervous breath, yellow encasing his irises as All Might put his hand on his shoulder.  
“Being strong also means knowing when to call for help, young Slim. There’s no shame in that.”

Slim looked up with bright eyes, an idea seeming to form, making the former hero smile.

“I take it you have something in mind?”  
“I do. And now that I think about it, my armor could use some upgrades too. Do you mind if I head to the Support Class for help?”  
“Not at all, young Slim. I don’t wanna stop you when you’ve got something in your head. We can pick up when you get back.”

“Thank you, sir!” Slim smiled as he jogged off, approaching the 1-H classroom to see Midoriya bolt off, leaving sparks of energy and an endeared Uraraka and Iida in his wake.

“I’m guessing he isn’t that excited for a nap?” Slim smiled.  
“Nope, I think he had a breakthrough though.” The girl laughed.  
“That’s great! I’m about to try and make some changes myself. Are things going well for you?”  
“Yeah, the nausea’s been reduced a bit, so that’s a plus! Anyway, I gotta go, see you around!”

Slim waved as he walked into the store, finding Dot working with a pink haired student, Mei Hatsume from the Sports Festival, with a man in construction like armor named Power Loader working on his own machine before seeing Slim.

“Ah, hello there. Do you need something?”  
“Yes sir. I’m Slim, and I was wondering if you could help me improve my costume.”  
“Here, let me take a look.”

Slim gave the pieces to Power Loader, who examined them with intrigue and a sharp eye.

“I remember this one. Simplistic, but functional. What do you need with it?”  
“Well, the armor seems to dent somewhat easily, and I feel like the gauntlets draw too much energy out of me, tiring me out faster.”  
“Let’s see if we can get that fixed. Hey Hatsume, come here!”

The girl nearly sprinted over, surprising Slim as she laser-focused on the suit pieces. Slim looked over her shoulder, seeing his girlfriend hard at work. Shade nudged him out of his trance, bringing Slim’s other objective to mind.

“Actually sir, may I speak with Dot for a bit? I think she could be a great help with my Quirk as well.”  
“As long as she isn’t bothered by it, go right ahead.”

“Thank you!” Slim walked over to Dot, poking her shoulder and hugging her when she turned around.

“Hey there. Whatcha working on?”  
“Just some extra support equipment for Uraraka. What do you need?”  
“Well, if you have the time, I…” Slim took a breath. “I’d like you to use your Quirk on me.”  
Dot’s face subtly fell. “But…Didn’t you want to keep your stuff private? And what about Shade and Firefly?”  
“We don’t really have a choice, sweetheart.” Shade emerged.  
“With all the villain attacks and All Might’s retirement, we have to get better for those we love and protect, i-including y-you. And we see that we can’t do that on our own, not anymore.” Firefly added.

Dot blushed at the admission, being shared by Slim and Shade. The girl nodded, putting her hand to Slim’s chest and closing her eyes. The knowledge gained from Dot’s insight appeared as yellow energy, flowing from Slim’s chest to her own chest and head, swirling into a teal color as it retreated into Slim, closing his eyes to receive the information.

Visions danced across his sight. His past fighting off bullies to protect Dot, arguing with Shade on what they should do, trying to console Firefly after a rough day. It ended with the memory of his first kiss with Dot, the first time he had ever felt true peace that was shared between himself and his parts. That feeling stuck out, Slim reaching for it and committing it to memory.

Slim reopened his eyes, putting his and Dot’s foreheads together.

“Thank you, Selene.” Slim whispered.  
“Anytime, Nehemiah.” Dot smiled back. Slim reciprocated, giving her a passionate kiss on the lips, embracing her love.

“Hey Slim, I’ve got your costume ready!”

The boy snapped out of it, walking over to Power Loader and Hatsume, subtly gaping at the new costume. Shade and Firefly emerged as well, sharing Slim’s face.

“Damn, that’s some quick work!” Shade whistled.  
“Thank you guys so much!” Firefly smiled.  
“No problem, it was great to work with my babies again!” Hatsume gleamed.  
“Well don’t just stand there, try them on!”

Slim followed the instruction, feeling more and more refreshed and excited as each piece came together.

He looked around himself with awe and fascination. The breastplate had been changed to a shiny white, gaining more detailed golden accents along the borders. His blue hoodie got a new coat of color, making it more distinct and complimentary to his breastplate. Slim also felt more weight from the item, looking at the report on the desk to see that Kevlar had been woven into the article. However, he stopped once he saw two small bands on the table.

“Uh, where are my gauntlets?”  
“We saw in your notes that they felt clunky when under pressure,” Power Loader explained, “So we did some fine tuning with their actual fit.”  
“We also modified the energy circulation based on your notes in the request form.” Hatsume added. “I think you’ll like what they have in store!”

The girl looked close to giggling as Slim and Shade eyed them curiously, shrugging before putting on the bands.

“Okay…What do we do?” Shade asked.  
“The bands will respond to your energy. Just send them a pulse!”

Shade followed the command, his eyes, along with Shade and Firefly’s, going wide as the bands flashed a blue light. Hundreds of silver streams flowed out of the bands, encasing Slim’s arms and hands, fitting like pieces to a puzzle before reaching his fingertips. They ended when Slim sent another command, revealing brand new claws on the fingers, pure silver in color and sharper than any dagger Slim had seen.

“Whoa…”  
“Hot damn, this is some solid craftsmanship.” Shade laughed.  
“Well, you still have to try the gauntlets! C’mon, chop chop!” Hatsume beamed with unhinged anticipation, making Slim and Shade slightly nervous.

The student obeyed, feeling a rush of energy travel from his arms to his body before settling, the black and gold bands giving a subtle glow. Slim turned to Dot, who only gave a tearful nod and smile as he smiled widely.

“Thank you, guys, for everything.”  
“No problem Slim, just be careful with my babies, you’ll love the other surprises in store!”

Hatsume winked as Slim left, making he and his parts blush furiously as they eyed Dot for a reaction, who only gave a smirk and shrug before waving them goodbye. Slim returned to the gymnasium, seeing his classmates still hard at work. All Might finished a talk with Kirishima, seeing Slim and waving him over with a smile.

“I like the new costume, young Slim! Did you find what you were looking for?”  
“Thank you sir, and yeah. Now I just have to try and reach for it.”

All Might simply nodded as Slim closed his eyes. The student looked inward, searching through Dot’s visions before finding the serene glow at their first kiss. Slim reached towards it, feeling something course through him, summoning Shade and Firefly and gathering them around the spark.

‘ _We were lucky to have found this peace._ ’ Slim confided.  
‘ _Yeah, it’s got its perks. Gotta give it to Dot, she really is something special._ ’ Shade added.  
‘ _We won’t let go of this, will we?_ ’ Firefly asked.  
‘ _Never. We’ll use this to help others._ ’  
‘ _To give strength to those we save._ ’  
‘ _And hope for a brighter future!_ ’

All three nodded. ‘ _Together, we will protect this world, with light and darkness!_ ’

All Might’s eyes widened at Slim’s external transformation. A soft glow appeared at his chest, spreading to the rest of his body and lighting the golden bands on his gauntlets. A blackness also emerged, focusing on the dark bands alongside their light brethren.

Dark points emerged on his back, pushing out before bursting; unfurling into black angelic wings. Slim took in a cleansing breath, exhaling as the wings started flapping, lifting the student into the air. Slim’s eyes opened, one iris being a bright red, and one a bright blue, both giving off small but intense flames.

All Might laughed with pride. “How do you feel, Slim?”  
Slim looked puzzled, subtly confusing the former hero before giving a sure nod as he spoke with his, Shade’s and Firefly’s voices simultaneously. “Our name is Shadow, and we…feel amazing!”

Other students became attracted to the joyous laughter, seeing their classmate fly around the room with speed and grace. The angel looked down to his classmates, seeing a fractured wall behind Kirishima, smiling as they got an idea.

“Hey Kirishima! Wanna be a wrecking ball?”

The red-haired boy looked to the wall in confusion, before smiling in support of the idea. With a signal from Shadow, the boy ran towards his classmate, jumping as Shadow grabbed his legs and swung him around in the air with minimal effort before launching him like a missile. The wall shattered into pebble-sized pieces as Kirishima gave a radiant thumbs-up.

Shadow looked around, diving into a faint shadow from the wall. The others couldn’t see, but the angel zoomed through the shadows, emerging from Tokoyami’s shadow, spooking the boy and Dark Shadow before diving down, easily smashing a piece of concrete to smithereens before landing in front of All Might.

Shadow took a breath, smiling as they dispersed, returning to Slim.

“Haven’t felt better, sir.”

The retired hero smiled brightly, growing into true sincerity as Slim gave him a surprise hug, which All Might reciprocated. Slim stepped back upon hearing cheers, coming from Midoriya and Kirishima as they came over, closely followed by Uraraka and Iida.

“Way to go, dude! That was awesome!” The redhead exclaimed.  
“That was incredible! It looked like you could use Shade and Firefly’s abilities without switching!” Midoriya admired.  
“I’m so proud of you, Slim! You looked like you were having fun flying around!” Uraraka beamed.  
“Your Quirk has certainly achieved a leap in evolution. Well done!” Iida nodded.

Slim looked ready to ignite in flames with the blush on his cheeks, and Firefly wasn’t much better. Shade took the praise in stride, smirking as the words poured in.

“Thanks, guys. Guess we’ve got a super move now, huh?”  
“More like a super _form_! We’re nearly unstoppable now!”  
“But we still have others around for help, Shade. We wouldn’t have gotten here without these guys or Dot.”  
“Yeah, yeah. Just let me ride the high, Sparky.”

The others laughed as Firefly rolled his eyes, hiding a smile. Slim looked above the others, seeing Dot lean against the door with a huge smile on her face. He walked over to her, giving her an intense smile and hug before holding her face with his hand as he became Shadow again.

“This wouldn’t be possible without you, you know.”  
“No way,” Dot laughed, “You would’ve figured this out yourselves.”  
“Nothing’s gonna stop us from giving you credit, angel. Might as well get used to it.”  
“Says the one with angel wings.”

Shadow unleashed a hearty laugh, giving Dot a sweet kiss on the lips. The girl reciprocated, laughing upon hearing the cheers from Shadow’s classmates. The couple separated, Shadow giving her a sweet smile as he walked back to the others, getting ready for a spar with Midoriya. Dot walked out of the area and back to the Development Studio, happy to use her Passionate Insight to help the ones she loved most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! Dot’s Quirk is named Passionate Insight. As long as she has a deep connection/love for something, she can know just about everything about it. A small upgrade is that she learns to share her findings with others directly as I showed in the chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments, and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
